by Delia Roan
Verdan lay sprawled on the bed. His arm hung limply over the edge, and his legs were tangled in the sheets. For a second, she was struck by how Farrah resembled him in sleep, but then he moaned and his face twisted.
Rebecca made her way to the bed. Beads of sweat dotted his brow and the scales along his shoulders and chest rippled as they moved.
“Are you okay?” She leaned over him, and reached her hand for his shoulder, wanting to shake him awake. Instead, her hand froze a few inches from his skin. He burned. The heat roiled off him like she’d opened an oven. Wincing, she pushed on, shoving his shoulder. “Verdan?”
His eyes flickered. In the low light, they glowed with a fire inside. He mumbled words the translator didn’t recognize. His eyes rolled side to side, and he groaned again.
“Tysa? Tysa?”
“You’re sick,” Rebecca said. “I’m going to help you.”
Somehow.
High school biology had not prepared her for treating an alien.
The logical choice would be to bring down that fever. It couldn’t be healthy.
“Come on,” she said. She grabbed Verdan’s hand and pulled, but she might as well have tried to move a mountain. “Get up, dammit!”
She stumbled back as Verdan rolled to a sitting position. “Yessir,” he mumbled.
Shoving her shoulder under his arm, Rebecca hauled him upward. “Walk,” she commanded.
When the blanket slipped aside, revealing his naked form, she almost dropped him.
“Well,” she said. “There you are then.”
Despite her best efforts to avoid looking, she peeked. He was well-muscled, but he looked thinner than she expected for such a broad-shouldered man. Scars marred his body across his back and chest. His tummy was tight, and the scales smaller than those on his shoulders, and lower down…
No! Bad Rebecca!
By the time they staggered to the bathroom, sweat soaked Rebecca’s shirt. Lifting the Ennoi took a lot of strength, and his skin felt like a hot day in Arizona. She plopped him down next to the door and fumbled for the light switch. When the light flared on, Verdan grunted and threw his arm over his eyes.
“Sorry!” Rebecca fidgeted with the switch until the light dimmed to a pale yellow. She blinked as her eyes adjusted, and then her brow furrowed.
Oh, so he gets a giant pool to soak in and the rest of us get a piddling shower? Nice.
It took a moment for Rebecca to figure out the controls. Instead of water, thin oil gurgled into the tub, filling the air with a spicy, woodsy smell. Right, Farrah had mentioned the Ennoi bathe with oil. She found a small cupboard containing towels and threw one over Verdan’s lap, while she used another to wipe off her hands. The oil absorbed into her skin without leaving a film.
The bright light revived Verdan somewhat. He blinked slowly at Rebecca, but his body trembled. “Wh-what are you doing?”
“Trying to cool you down. You’re burning up.”
He looked down at himself, confused. “I feel cold.”
“Don’t worry, the bath will be warm, just not hot. Can you get in by yourself?”
In the end, she had to support him as he lowered himself into the oil. While it would have held her or Farrah comfortably, Verdan had to bend his legs at the knees to fit. He moaned as the liquid rose up over his skin.
“Is it too cold?” Rebecca asked.
“It is agony,” Verdan said. “But it helps.”
“Your eyes do look clearer.”
He leaned his head back against the back of the tub, and closed his eyes. For a moment, he was quiet, then he slowly began to slip down. Rebecca grabbed his arm.
“Hey, don’t fall asleep! You’ll drown!”
He blinked at her. “S-so tired.”
“Why do your scales do that?” Rebecca said. If she kept him talking, he might stay awake.
“Do what?”
“Ripple like that.”
He scrunched up his nose. “It happens when we are angry. Or upset.” He paused. “When we are excited. Or aroused.”
Rebecca’s face warmed. It took a lot of willpower to keep her eyes fixed on his face. “Farrah doesn’t have scales like that. Or ridges. Do all adult Ennoi have them?”
“Do all adult Humans ask so many questions?”
“No. Just ones trying to save Ennoi lives,” she replied, crossing her arms. “Answer the question.”
He stayed quiet for a while. His hands skimmed the surface lazily, and he watched the ripples fan out with a glazed expression. “The ridges are a sign I found my Avowed. When we Ennoi find our soul mate, our dormant second heart begins beating and we undergo… a physical transformation. It is a symbol of our love. Our Avowal of Infinity.”
“Farrah said she passed away,” Rebecca said. “I’m sorry.”
“As am I.” His attention returned to the ripples.
Rebecca sat on the floor, and leaned her back against the wall. The pain in his eyes broke her heart. What must that be like? To lose a part of yourself to someone and then to lose that someone? She’d never been in love, but she’d always believed she’d have a long life to find The One.
No guarantees in life.
Enjoy it while you can.
***
She must’ve fallen asleep, because she woke with a start. She peeked at Verdan. His eyes were closed again, his head lying against his shoulder. The scales on his body lay flat. She reached out her hand and touched his forehead. Still warm, but cooler now. The oil was icy.
She reached between his feet, carefully avoiding what lay between his thighs, and opened the drain, letting the liquid level drop.
“Verdan,” she murmured. “Time to go back to bed.”
He stirred. “Tysa, let me sleep.”
She jabbed her finger into his arm, making him wince. “It’s Rebecca. Time to move.”
“R-Rebecca?”
“Move!”
“Fine, fine,” he grumbled, rising out of the tub. Oil streamed off his body in sensual tendrils, caressing his muscles as it slipped downward. He buffed his skin with a towel, and his scales grew brighter, gleaming where the light touched them. She couldn’t breathe until he wrapped a towel around himself.
“How do you feel?” she asked.
“Groggy,” he said. He swayed, and she grabbed his arm to steady him. He pulled away.
“Don’t be stupid,” she snapped. “Let me help.”
He hesitated before leaning on her. Together, they wobbled back to the bed. As she lowered him to the sheets, he groaned again.
“You missed a spot.” Rebecca grabbed the towel from her shoulder.
“You must think me weak,” he said as she wiped oil from his shoulder.
“I don’t think that,” she said. He cocked an eyebrow at her, and she shook her head. “I don’t. Strength comes in many forms. During my time with the Dorians…” She closed her eyes against the memories. “There are all kinds of strength in this world. Well, in this universe,” she amended.
“And you’ve seen much of the universe, have you?” His mouth quirked in amusement.
“I’ve probably seen too much to return to Earth and go back to my small life.” Rebecca scratched the back of her neck. “Okay, I’ve seen plenty of ship interiors. Sometimes I got a peek of stars. Once I saw what I thought was a planet, but I’m not sure. It might’ve been a rock.”
“Then, you have seen nothing of the universe.”
“I’ve seen enough. I’ve seen people. Humans and Dorians. The aliens on New Trades. And now Ennoi.” She sat on the edge of the bed, beside him. “You are strong. Your wife’s-”
“Tysa,” he said.
“Tysa,” Rebecca repeated. “Farrah told me how her death affected you. But you stay alive for her. That is strength.”
She fidgeted with the hem of the towel.
“What is your strength?” His voice held genuine curiosity.
“Me?” She sighed. “I’v
e seen women who fought, and women who submitted. Women who fooled themselves into believing they were in love with their masters. Women who locked part of themselves away so nothing the Dorians did could touch them.”
She waited for him to ask what the Dorians did, but his silence let her knew he had some idea.
“I’ve always liked to think I’m the sort of person who finds joy in life, despite the darkness. That maybe my heart isn’t so bruised black and blue that it can’t feel anything anymore.”
“You feel.”
She shrugged. “How can you be so sure, when even I’m not sure?”
“For one,” he said slowly, “you took joy in the sweetness of tea. Horrible, vile, not-fit-to-scrub-toilets tea.”
That made her laugh. She brushed lint off his face, and threw the used towel on the floor. At his wince, she patted his arm. “Don’t worry, I’ll go hang them up in the bathroom.”
When she returned, his eyes were half-closed. She pulled the sheets over him. As she dropped the sheet, his eyes popped open and he grabbed her wrist. Her breath caught. His eyes were wide with fear.
“Verdan? It’s me, Rebecca.”
“Stay with me,” he said. “I cannot be alone now.”
“I-I…”
“Don’t leave me.” Need filled his voice, and his grip on her wrist stayed firm.
The protests she lined up died on her lips. Why couldn’t she stay? She’d sat with countless women in the same situation, where the darkness filled their minds and left no space for the light. She’d held their hands for as long as she could. People who knew suffering had to stick together. They had to work to stop others from suffering.
“Okay,” she said. “I’ll stay.”
She sat on the bed. His grip eased enough for her to free her wrist and wrap her fingers around his. His hand dwarfed hers. Callouses ridged the palms. She ran a finger over the fine scales on the backs, tracing the pattern of forest-like swirls, and feeling the roughness of his scars.
She protected the weak to the best of her ability. Like Farrah. Like Jenna, the girl she’d lost to the Dorians the day she left Earth. Where was she now? Did Jenna have someone to hold her hand?
Rebecca shivered. She leaned into Verdan, letting his heat drive away some of the chill on her skin. He murmured something, and rolled to his side, but his grip on her hand remained.
Maybe Rebecca needed someone to hold her hand tonight, too.
CHAPTER SIX
VERDAN
Verdan drifted in and out of sleep, but every time he woke, he felt Rebecca’s comforting hand in his own. This time was different though, so he forced away the sleep.
“You’re making a strange sound,” he grated. “Why?”
Rebecca snuffled. “I’m not.” The thickness in her voice told the truth.
“You are,” he said. He removed his hand from hers and touched her shoulder. “Also, you shiver. Come lie under the blanket.”
“Your bed’s too small.”
“There is room.” When she didn’t move, he sighed, and pulled her down beside him. “See. Room.”
“You aliens keep your ships too cold,” she grumbled as she shoved her cold feet against his warm ones. Human bodies are so inefficient.
“Ennoi run warm,” he said. “It also conserves power. Explain the dampness on your face.”
For a moment, he thought she wouldn’t, but when she spoke, her voice was small. “I’m sad.”
“Only infants weep.” The glib saying rolled off his tongue before he could stop it.
“Well, excuse me for being Human,” Rebecca said. But she tucked her hands against his side. Her shivers seemed to be abating. “What do Ennoi do when they’re sad?”
“We rage.” We stomp our feet. We scream at the heavens. We tear apart hospital rooms. We fight guards until we are sedated, and when we wake up, we do it all over again. Until your dead wife’s father leans over the bed to which you are strapped and warns you that he will remove his granddaughter from your care if you can’t pull yourself together.
Rebecca shuddered, and squeezed his arm. “I don’t think they would have really taken Farrah from you.”
Verdan raised his eyebrows. “Oh, did I speak aloud?”
Again, that strange bark of laughter. “Yeah, you kinda did.” She patted his chest, but when she stopped, her hand remained flush against his skin. His heart thumped.
He’d been alone with his thoughts for so long that he’d forgotten how to keep his mouth shut. Yet, if he had to spill his guts, he was grateful Rebecca didn’t judge him for it.
“Don’t get me wrong,” she said. “It was a rotten thing to say to a grieving man. They probably said that to get you to snap out of… to bring you back.”
Her hand traced the patterns on his chest, and Verdan’s attention wandered. “I suppose I’ve threatened Farrah with the same regarding Min. When she refuses to clean her cage.” His words were slow. “I was insufferable, though. Perhaps weeping would have been better.”
“What happened next?” Her hands were starting to get quite bold, sweeping across the planes of his chest. Verdan’s scalp tingled.
“When I could, I took Farrah and left. Poured my money into the Moon’s Pride. Never looked back.”
“It sounds lonely.”
“It is.” She now explored the ridges along his arm.
He grabbed her hand, quelling its motion. “Why are you doing that?”
“Oh! I’m sorry, I fidget when I’m nervous. Is it bothering you?”
The scales along his shoulder flickered. “In a way. Why are you nervous? You have no need to be nervous with me. Nor I with you.”
Why did his heart thunder, then?
She mumbled something. Her face, warm now, burrowed into his arm. Why did she feel so soft and enticing lying beside him? He became aware that only a thin layer of fabric separated his naked body from hers. A tingle ran down his spine, and settled low in his belly. He was losing his mind.
“Rebecca…” His voice trailed off. What could he say? What should he say? He’d been out of polite society for so long. He knew nothing of Human interactions. Was she aware of how her body made his react?
“I-I should go,” she said. She sat up.
Cold air rushed in to surround Verdan. After the warmth and softness of Rebecca, he felt adrift.
Lonely.
“No!” He sat up, made to grab for her, but his hand stopped when she flinched away from him. A flicker of fear crossed her face.
She bears scars, deep as my own.
Don’t misstep, you fool.
He dropped his hand. “My words are rusty.”
“Ookay?”
“I will not force you to stay. If you want to leave, you may. You are free here, Rebecca.” He swallowed down the lump in his throat. “I would be grateful if you choose to stay. To stay with me.”
All he could do was wait. Would she bolt? Why did the thought send a sharp pang into his chest?
She licked her lips. “Verdan, I- Your offer is… It’s not you…” She closed her eyes. The frown on her brow lifted, and a tentative smile quirked the corner of her mouth. “Small joys,” she whispered.
“Small-?”
Before he could finish the question, she leaned forward, and placed her mouth directly on his. Heat flooded his body. The chill of the air no longer registered. Only the sweetness of her mouth and the way her hand fluttered against his shoulder. He froze for a moment, overwhelmed by his body’s reaction to her, and she jerked away, her mouth a small circle of surprise.
“Oh! I’m sorry! Do Ennoi not kiss?”
He didn’t bother to comment, just reached his hand behind her head and dragged her back. His tongue slipped into her mouth, savoring her taste. Everything about her was unfamiliar to him, but the longer he kissed her, the more certain he grew of how much he liked tasting her.
A small moan escaped her lips, and he groaned. Lips still locked, he pu
lled her downward, settling her on top of him on the bed.
His fingers tangled in her hair, and his breathing grew ragged when her soft thigh brushed against his hip.
“More,” he said. “I need more. Strip.”
He placed his hand on the collar of her flight suit, and yanked. She yelped, and he froze. “Did I hurt you?”
She shook her head. “No, I just… Too fast.”
She didn’t need to say too rough, but he added in the words for her.
Restraint, fool!
“Apologies. It has been too long.”
“Me too,” she said. She sat up, and unzipped the flight suit. He watched as she shrugged it off her arms. Her skin glowed in the low light, daring him to touch.
He lifted a hand, and trailed a finger down her neck, making her tilt her head. When the finger explored the curve of her breast, her lips parted.
“Oh. That feels good.”
Verdan smiled. “What else makes you feel good?”
She stood and kicked off her clothes, then straddled his belly, tunneling her fingers through his hair. He froze as her naked skin rubbed against his, as the curls at the vee of her legs tickled his abdomen.
“Touch me,” she commanded, and helpless to resist, he did.
He cupped her breast with his hand, flicking her nipple with his hand. “Why do these stand alert when I touch them?”
She made to pull a hand over her chest, and he moved it back to her side. “They’re like your scales. They get pokey when I’m cold.” She mumbled something further.
“I beg your pardon?”
“And when I’m… turned on. Aroused…”
“Erect when aroused?” He dragged his thumb over her nipple, and gently squeezed. “Does this arouse you?”
She arched her back and raised her face to the ceiling as she gasped. “Yes, that kinda does the trick.”
“You’re beautiful,” he murmured.
He should have felt ashamed. He should have felt conflicted, but watching her writhe above him, he felt the rightness of the situation. Maybe it wouldn’t last, but in this moment, he and she were exactly where they were meant to be: together.
